Method of condensing metals



Feb. 2 1926. 7

C. SCHANANDQAH METHOD OF CONDENSING METALS Filed April 1, 1925 wy llllllvll Patented Feb. 2, 1926.

, UNITED STATES CHAPMAN SGHANANDOAH, OF NEDROW, NEW YORK- METHOD OF CONDENSING METALS.

Application filed April 1, 1925. Serial No. 19,902.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHAPMAN SCHANAN- DOAI-I, a citizen of the United States, residing at Nedrow, in the county of Onondaga and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methodsof Condensing Metals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the treatment of steel, iron, and other metals, by means of which the molecules of the metal may be brought into closer relation with each other, for condensing, hardening and increasing the resistance of the metal, for certain puroses. p The object of the method is to compress and condense a body of metal, by subjecting said body to great pressure, said pressure preferably being greater than that usually effected by casting, rolling or forging, as commonly practiced, and the said pressure preferably being applied to the metal from opposite directions and in the same plane simultaneously, thereby subjecting the body of metal to two like forces that preferably move towards the body at the same speed and exert substantially equal pressure against the opposite sides of the metal.

In carrying out my method, the body of the metal is preferably securely mounted in a holder of suitable size, weight, and strength, to effectually resist any lateral displacement of the metal, while the body is being acted upon by the opposing compressing mediums. The sides of the body againstwhich the impact of the agents of the force is expended, preferably pro ect beyond and clear of the adjacent arts of the holder, so that the full compressive force may be exerted against the body, rather than being lessened and wasted by contact with the holder.

A further object of the method is to effeet the condensing of a body of metal, by means of rams or projectiles of suitable size, weight and material, that may be impelled suddenly and with great force to:

ward the body simultaneously. as. by ex-v plosives, that may be detonated in unison, whereby the rams may strike'with equal force against the opposite sides of the body of metal. My method includes the use of any suitable powerful explosive, by which the rams may be projected towards the body for producing a finer for effecting the desired compression. In case a higher degree of density and hardness is required for certain uses, I prefer to use explosives for effecting the compression, but for ordinary uses, powerful hydraulic force may be employed, provided that the said force is exerted snnultaneously from opposite directions against the body, as ex-' plained. Y

Another object of the method is to .compress and condense metal and other bodies and closer grain, whereby the metal may withstand greater resistance and have greater endurance than has heretofore been attained by .any other treatment known to me.

Upon investigation, I have found that when a body of metal is placed in the usual hydraulic press, the active pressure or force being applied in one direction only, and wherein this force is supplemented by the reflective force exerted by the abutment or stationary portion of the press against which the opposite side of the body contacts, effects a considerable compressing, and condensing of the molecules throughout the body, the said condensation being more marked adjacent the side from which the active force is applied, but taken as a whole,

the condensation effected by this single acting force is not uniform throughout the body. According to my. method, the active compressive force is applied to each side of the body preferably being equal to the oneway force heretofore exerted by hydraulic and. other mediums, I find that the compression of the. molecules is substantially uniform throughout the body, provided that "the body is properly porportioned to the force applied. I have also found that it is possible to confine the body to be compressed in a properl constructed holder in such manner that isplacement of the metal laterally or perpendicularly to the line of the compression force, is negligible. By my method, the molecules of a body of metal may be suitably condensed'by a single appli cation of the opposing compressive forces,

. whereas by the usual method of compressing metals, w ere the active force is applied only in one d1rect1on,'it 1s often necessary to shift the body and repeat the com ressive operations, by applying the active orce sequentially to the several sides of the body,

which increases the number of operations and greatly adds to the durationand cost of the condensing operations.

' In order that my invention .ma be more fully understood, reference may had the accompanying drawing, 1n which 1s diagrammatically shown one form of apparatus, by which the various ste s of t e method may be carried out, in whic Figure 1 is a broken central vert1cal long1- tudinal section, taken substantially on line 1-'1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the adjustable holder. And Fig. 3 is an end elevation of one-\of the trough-like guides.

In the drawing, 2 represents a sohdbase, which may be mounted upon any suitable foundation, as 2'. 3 represents a relatively heavy and massive part, hereinafter referred to as the holder, which maybe formed with a. central horizontal opening 3 to receive a relatively heavy bushing 4:, the latter preferably being split, as shown in Fig. 2. Intermediate its ends the bore of the bushing is contracted, as at 4, and in this contracted bore is disposed a. block or body of'metal 5, to be compressed. The contracted portion 4: is preferably slightly shorter axially than the block 5, as shown in -F1g. 1, sh that the block may be acted upon by the compressing mediums, without interference by the bushing. The carrier or holder 3 is preferably fitted with a number of castors or rollers, as 3 which space the holder from the base 2, and provide means for trundling the holder upon the base, for adjusting as well as for mounting or removing the holder.

The plant or apparatus shown is preferably arranged for creating the force by which the block 5 may be compressed, with similar rams or projectiles, comprising rela tively long, solid and heavy cylindrical bodies of steel, of suitable grade, as 6- -6 which are arranged to be projected or shot toward the block 5, from opposite directions, in the line of the longitudinal axis of said block and the bushing 43, by means of any suitable explosive agent, as indicated at X For this purpose, the rams are dispo e; in similar cannon-like which may be mounted upon The axes of the guns with the axis of the block are preferably reinforced 7",. which are encircled by cushion recoil spring 7*. The bolts 6- are shown projecting beyond the muzzles of the guns, but it will be understood that the said bolts may be of any suitable length, diameter and weight. The charges of the explosive X are preferably disposed adjacent reduced portions 7 of the bushings 't'fiand may be detonated by any of the well-known means, which need not be shown or described in this application. The guns 7-7 are located the same distance rom the block 5, and are shown in the act of discharging the rams at the same speed, preferably b identical charges of the explosive, so tiat said rams may strike the opposite ends of the block 5, the same measured blows for effecting uniform compression of the molecules of the block 5, in the direction of the axis of said blot-k (see dotted lines in Fig. 1). The rams 6-6 are preferably guarded against gravitative as well as lateral variations during their flight, by means of guides or ways 9, which are preferably positioned between the guns and the holder, as best seen in Fig. 1. The

. guides 9 are substantially Y-shaped in crosssection for providing similar angular upwardly facing troughs 9, which in case the projectiles should make contact with the guides, the latter may offer the least possible rictional resistance to the compressing mediums.

By my method steel may be compressed, condensed, hardened, and rendered finer and closer in its grain, thus adapting the metal for use in connection with instruments of precision, razor blades, and other edge tools, and the steps of the method may be varied within a relatively wide range to suit different requirements without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, is

1. The method of compressingand condensing a body of metal, which consists of confining said body to prevent lateral displacement of the metal when the body is subjected to compressive forces, and with the opposite ends of said body exposed, then compressing the said body by the impact of similar heavy bodies impelled by the force of independent explosives that are detonated in unison, whereby the said bodies may strike measured blows of equal inertial moment.

2. The method of compressing and condensing a body of metal, which consists of confining the said body to prevent the expansion or displacement of the metal later ally relatively to the axis 01": said body and to expose its opposite ends, then in simultaneously striking the ends of the body powerful blows of equal force'by bodies impelled by the force of independent explosives.

3. In a metal condensing apparatus, a metal holder formed to receive and engage the major part of a body of metal to be cou densed and to leave the ends of the body free, a pair of explosive guns arranged in spaced relation to and on opposite sides of the holder and having their bores a'lined with the body of metal, and solid heavyms received in the gun bores and adapted'upon igniting of the explosives to bc projected lid ' condense the latter.

4. In a metal condensing apparatus, a metal holder formed to receive and engage the major part of a body of metal to he condensed and to leave the ends of the body free, a pair of explosive guns arranged in spaced relation to and on opposite sides of the holder and having their bores alined with the body of metal, horizontal guides spaced from the holder and alined with the gun bores, means to movably mount the holder for movement into and out of alinement with the gun bores, and solid heavy rams received in the gun bores and adapted upon igniting of the explosives to be projected through the space between the guns and metal body and across the guides and simultaneously against said opposite ends of the body of metal thereby to condense the latter.

5. In a metal condensing apparatus, a metal holder formed to receive and engage the major part of a body of metal to be condensed and to leave the ends of the body free, a pair of guns arranged in spaced relation to and on opposite sides of the holder and having their bores alined with the body of metal solid heavy rams received in the gun bores, and means to project the rams out of engagement with the guns and through the space between the guns and metal body and simultaneously against opposite ends of the body of metal thereby to condense the latter.

In testimony whereof I alfix my signature.

CHAPMAN SCI-IANANDOAH. 

